The invention relates generally to a wirelessly powered flexible tag (WPFT). Upon interaction with an external stimulus, the WPFT is configured to induce an electrical response, a thermal response, or a combination of both in a substrate.
Although reflective power technology, such as radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, has become commonplace in modern-day society, current devices serve only a very limited purpose. For example, today the most common RFID tags are “passive” devices, that is, devices configured to receive a very small amount of energy, and transmit a response signal to a readout device. These types of passive RFID tags are analogous to barcodes. Even more advanced “active” RFID tags (e.g. RFID tags that possess their own internal power source) still only function as sensor/readout devices. Although active RFID tags have been used as sensors (e.g. temperature sensors, humidity sensors, shock/vibration sensors, light sensors, and radiation sensors) none of the energy induced or generated by the RFID tag is used to do any work or enable any change or response in the substrate to which the active RFID tag is affixed.